Assistance with renting a ship

Renting a boat in the Netherlands is relatively easy. For vessels up to 14.99 meters in length, no boating license is required. However, this does not mean that sailing a yacht requires no experience! On the contrary—you are responsible for the safety of everyone on board, and when the wind picks up, you must know exactly what you can and cannot do. Always make sure there is a sufficiently experienced skipper on board!

Boat Rental
There are plenty of yacht rental companies near the area where the CapCup takes place. One example is Windkracht 5 Zeilverhuur in Enkhuizen. If you're looking to rent a sailboat, just try Googling "zeilboot huren IJsselmeer/Markermeer"—you’ll find more than enough options to choose from. Many of these companies offer boats suitable for both beginners and experienced sailors, often with flexible rental periods and optional instruction or skippers.

Aandachtspunten
If you're renting a boat for the first time—especially with an inexperienced crew—keep the following tips in mind: Boat rental can be expensive, but if you split the cost among all crew members, it becomes much more manageable. Collect everyone’s share of the cost before you pay the rental company yourself. This avoids hassle later and ensures your crew is committed to participating. Ask everyone to contribute to the security deposit in advance. It’s much easier to refund money afterward than to ask for more later.

If possible, buy off the deductible. We don’t expect it, but everyone occasionally causes damage by accident. That’s not a big deal, but if the €1500 deposit suddenly isn’t refunded by the rental company, it can become an unpleasant expense. So always buy off the deductible if possible (pay a bit more to reduce your liability).

Make very clear and explicit agreements with your crew about potential damage, loss of the deposit, or other unforeseen costs. The fairest approach is to agree to split all unforeseen expenses equally among the crew members (unless caused by intent or gross negligence). Put this in an email as well to avoid any misunderstandings later.

Keep in mind that you’ll need to sail your boat from the rental location to the CapCup location. To get to the boat and arrive in time for the welcome drinks, it’s a good idea to leave home on Friday afternoon. If possible, you could work remotely from home in the morning. The following costs can be expected: base rental of the boat, deductible buy-off/reduction, possible cleaning fees, diesel costs, harbor fees, CapCup registration fee, and groceries.

These points are tips. The CapCup Committee is in no way liable for damage, injury, or any other incidents. The skipper is always the final authority on board. If you have any questions, just get in touch with us—we’ll be happy to help you further.